Betting odds are useful in identifying the profit that can be made and helps bettors to decide the amount for which bets can be placed. Betting odds are provided by most of the online betting sites to facilitate its customers. You can find live betting odds available for different live matches at www.bet.co.za. These betting odds help customers in winning bets and making a fortune. But to make proper usage of the betting odds, you must know how to read these odds. Odds for rugby betting, soccer betting and all the other major sports are written in different ways. Though all the different betting odds mean the same, it can be confusing when you are trying to read them if you are not familiar with the types.

The different types of betting odds in use are fractional, decimal, US and Hong Kong odds. Each of these types imply the same odds but in different styles. Fractional odds are quite common in North America and UK. This type is quite simple but many people find difficulty in understanding it. Fractional odds are displayed as fractions of profit that can be made for the amount paid. Suppose the rugby betting odd is displayed as 3/2, then you need to read it as for every 2 dollars you bet you get a profit of 3 dollars. In simple words, you get 3 dollars profit if you bet on 2. Thus your total win would be 5 dollars which is 3 dollars profit plus your bet of 2 dollars. If the odd is represented as 1/1, then it means that you can make 1 dollar by betting on 1 dollar. It is an even money payoff.

Decimal odds are used in European countries where the odds are represented as numbers greater than 1. For instance, odd of 1.50 means that you bet for 1 dollar and get 50 cent profit. US odds are either positive or negative three digit numbers usually represented above or below 100. It simply represents the amount you have to bet on to win $100, like an odd of -200 means you have to bet on $200 to win $100. Hong Kong odds are similar to decimal odds but do not represent the original bet amount.